Game Recap: Game #53, Stars 7 vs. Leafs 1

DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 23: Kari Lehtonen #32 of the Dallas Stars makes a save against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period at American Airlines Center on January 23, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Well, they weren’t going to win forever, but this was an emphatic way to end the winning streak.

Ray Ferraro had a pretty good comment as this game got out of control: “In the NHL, if you let off 5-10% one night while the other team plays great, this is what happens.”

Dallas looked pretty good on this night, and made the Leafs pay time and again with their speed and timely, clinical finishing. The Leafs couldn’t get a save to help settle them down, either, from Bernier or Reimer. Mistake, turnover, goal… rinse and repeat. It was one of those nights.

A big factor, to these eyes, how was how ineffectual the Leafs PP was. The Leaf PP repeatedly stunted their own momentum, and gave up a shorthanded goal (4-1 goal) as well as a goal just as the PP expired (2-1 goal). The Stars were extremely aggressive on the half wall, where Kessel sets up shop, and the points, taking away the d to d lane effectively. Dallas put their speed to work on the PK and it gave the Leafs fits. Instead of providing chances to tie it up or get back in the game, the Leafs conceded a couple of crucial goals that sunk them in this game as a direct result of a malfunctioning PP. It’s not like the man advantage has been anything but a major asset to this team all season though, so we’ll just have to flush this one.

The one thing that I’m wondering about is the Leafs’ quantity of blowouts the Leafs have endured this season, and if it is higher than most. To my count, this is the Leafs’ fifth game that was over and done with by half way through the game (Columbus, Vancouver, New York, Dallas, Carolina), and the third in the last three weeks. Not sure if that’s high or not.

The good news is that the Leafs have attempted to pay up on all of their PDO/great goaltending karma in one night.

Flush it and bring it in Winnipeg, for Reimer and Randy.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Dallas Stars Boxscore

PLAYER

G

A

TOI

+/-

SOG

PIM

FW

FL

HITS

BS

TAKE

GIVE

Carter Ashton

0

0

10:52

0

2

0

0

0

1

1

1

0

Troy Bodie

0

0

15:43

-1

2

0

0

1

3

1

0

1

Tyler Bozak

0

0

14:38

-4

1

0

8

7

0

0

0

0

Cody Franson

0

0

21:17

-2

1

0

0

0

1

1

0

0

Jake Gardiner

0

0

22:07

-2

3

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

Tim Gleason

0

0

18:24

-1

0

2

0

0

2

1

0

0

Carl Gunnarsson

0

1

16:30

-1

1

2

0

0

0

2

0

0

Peter Holland

0

0

16:26

0

1

0

4

8

1

0

2

0

Nazem Kadri

0

1

13:23

-1

0

12

4

9

0

0

0

1

Phil Kessel

0

0

14:03

-4

2

0

0

0

0

2

1

0

Nikolai Kulemin

1

0

14:20

1

2

0

0

0

2

0

0

1

Joffrey Lupul

0

0

16:57

-1

3

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

Jay McClement

0

0

13:58

0

1

0

8

9

0

0

0

0

Colton Orr

0

0

7:16

0

0

14

0

0

3

0

0

0

Dion Phaneuf

0

0

22:02

-2

2

0

0

0

1

1

0

1

Mason Raymond

0

0

18:17

-1

1

0

1

0

1

1

0

1

Morgan Rielly

0

0

20:02

-2

2

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

James van Riemsdyk

0

0

16:15

-3

1

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

—–

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Alec Brownscombe is the founder of MapleLeafsHotStove.com, where he has written daily about the Leafs since September of 2008. He was also the editor of the 2009-12 Maple Leafs Annuals. You can contact him at brownscombealec@gmail.com.

The score and the teams play just makes it hard to shrug off…. for me anyway. If there’s such thing as a “good” loss, this was not one of them.

sniperstar

This is all the fans faults! We all wanted 7 and the Leafs gave it to us.

Burtonboy

https://twitter.com/markhmastershttps://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/426569978368638976 Reimer: “It sucks & all of us are pretty disappointed”

Ydargo

It’s hard to shrug it off ( I’m drinking scotch because of the game)…….given how streaky this team is, mental toughness from us (the fans) will allow us to keep our sanity

wiski

Not nice seeing all those G’s on home plate

Shafty

As bad as it was to watch on tv, consider yourself lucky that you didn’t drive 300 miles to watch in person like I did.

Burtonboy

Ok prediction time . Leafs will win the next 3

http://mapleleafshotstove.com/ DeclanK

https://twitter.com/DNKerin/status/426560893267505152

Cameron19

Was really hoping the Jets were coming down off a streak after being hammered by Anaheim but somehow winning the game. Playing pretty well tonight though…..*sigh*

wiski

https://twitter.com/markhmastershttps://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/426572196694089729 Carlyle on Leafs crashing back to earth: “That was the thud”

Shift_Disturber1

Alec Brownscombe LOL That would have made a good recap in it’s own right.

Ah well, next

Burtonboy

Cameron19 I’m not concerned that much . The player interviews indicate they knew full well they sucked and they sound very embarrassed . I expect to see a completely different team on Saturday

Alec Brownscombe

Shafty Shit, I forgot you said you went. They should have to issue personal apologies, and an autographed jersey. But how about that Kulemin goal? That was something!

Jmessih

The one good news from tonight was the out of town score boards, only Ottawa pick up one point. all other teams that were competing with us lost points. Oh and CBJ won, but they beat Philly so that is good.

Bon Scott was a Leaf fan

Too much chocolate milk. Gotta get back to the Britta.

Burtonboy

Jmessih Made virtually no difference to the standings

Bon Scott was a Leaf fan

Alec Brownscombe LOL…saved.

Bobsyouruncle

Bon Scott was a Leaf fan Chocolate milk sucks since they stopped making it with 3.2 BF milk. lol

Hmmm

Gabe_VR Perhaps fatigued, 3 games in 4 nights although good teams still find ways to win. If they can patch up the holes in their game, they might win these too. Hopefully, this is their one off night and they will get 3 out of 4 road games.

Hmmm

DeclanK What are they implying about us Leafs fans?

Hmmm

Bobsyouruncle Bon Scott was a Leaf fan How is that possible? Mom on a chocolate diet?

Hmmm

Alec Brownscombe Hopefully we drafted that guy?

Burtonboy

Nobody wants to fight Orr anymore . If he doesn’t fight he is of no use . Time for the coaches to realize the other teams game plan.

Jay31

Burtonboy Agreed. Waive/trade Mclaren, keep Orr as the 13th forward, but only dress him when facing teams with guys who will engage, otherwise roll something like D’amigo-mcclement-bodie

Both the pro-goon and anti-goon people should be happy with that arrangement

Burtonboy

Jay31 Burtonboy The teams that use the Orr types are getting fewer and fewer. Burke may be all alone in wanting and having that type of group in the not to distant future

Gozo

How they can loose like that with the few shots that they had?

lieffan

-Keon- Bernier was no better. Seriously. Coming from a Bernier guy. But, it’s a momentum thing more than it is blaming the goalie. Why are you so worked up? Goalies are more insulted if they’re left in.

sharkbabysitter

bad mojo for carlyle to pull bernier when he did. bad mojo.

JWaterdrager

Burtonboy Orr doesn’t want to fight anymre

http://mapleleafshotstove.com/ Radar O’Rielly

A blowout loss, big deal. Stop the bleeding on Saturday. Simple.

20 Bobby Pulford

@HmmmDeclanK How bush league can you get ff sakes. Do the sell fried pork rinds and “shine” at the concession stands there.

MaxwellHowe

I’m sure the game was an eye opener for the young team – you don’t bring it every night, you will be embarrassed, even by a relatively mediocre NHL team like the Stars. A few bad breaks as well didn’t help.

Mesmer

Jay31

Could easily have used “pro-men and anti-men”. Just sayin.

Burtonboy

” THUD ” Good way to discribe that one Carlyle

MaxwellHowe

hoolihan The game illustrated how other teams don’t really care about the facepunchers. Three Stars confront Orr, he drops gloves, they skate away. Orr is off the ice, Roussel goes after Kadri. And that was with Gleason right there (who was, in fairness, ready to drop Roussel if he could have gotten to him). Not to suggest the Leafs lost because Orr was on the ice, because thats nuts, but looking forward last nite at least demonstrated Orr has no positive impact on the Leafs’ game.

Loric76

Alec Brownscombe …Jordan? lol

Loric76

Ydargo still 6-1-0 in the past 7. Silver lining

Burtonboy

MaxwellHowe Agree Max . They got their ass handed to them. This is likely to rattle them a lot more then if the game was closer .

Burtonboy

MaxwellHowe hoolihan Love that fighting remains in the game but I’ve never been in favor of tough guys who can’t play hockey. Time to move on from that stuff.

MaxwellHowe

I have commented now and then about the possiblity of trading Lupul, given his health and (lately) inconsistentcy don’t justify his pay – but he was the one guy who hung in there in played hard right until the end. He has pride and work ethic, you know, intangibles, that are valuable on their own.

Burtonboy

MaxwellHowe No one played well but I felt the Kadri line was probably the best of a bad lot last night

MaxwellHowe

Burtonboy MaxwellHowe yeah, they were responsible for some bonehead giveaways, but clearly those 3 were ready to work hard.. Ashton and Bodie also deserve honorable mention

4evrblue

The difference between the class of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Phil Kessel and The Dallas Stars and co. Watch this video at around the 1:50 mark http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2013020753 and this one around 3:30 http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2013020753 . at both points in both games each team just grabbed a 4-0 lead and it was obvious the other team was done. The reactions were miles apart however.

Mind Bomb

Good morning Folks

4evrblue

Morning MB. Saw your post for a quick second before livefyre acted like a giant bag of dicks and deleted it lol

4evrblue

MaxwellHowe This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this about Lupul after a bad loss. Theres no quit in the guy. Love him as a leaf and hope he’s here throughout his contract and extended if his body doesn’t quit on him